THE FAMILY OF a 29-year-old man who died after he was kicked and punched as he lay defenceless on a Cork road have said that a sentence of four years handed down to the two perpetrators today does not represent justice.

Ricardo Hoey (21) of Ardcarrig, Carrigaline, Co Cork and Jordan Deasy (20) of Ravensdale, Heron’s Wood in the town were both charged with the murder of Matt O’Neill on 28 December, 2022 at Glenwood Estate in Carrigaline.

They went on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork last April with the jury returning verdicts of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for both men. 

Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford jailed both men for seven years today suspending the last three years of their sentence. However, she warned Mr Hoey and Mr Deasy that they will end up back in prison if they re offend. Both young men also have conditions attached to their release. 

Mr O’Neill had left his home in Carrigaline on foot on 28 December, 2022 to go across the road to buy wine. Mr Hoey and Mr Deasy were travelling through the estate in a car. They claimed that Mr O’Neill stood waving the bottle in front of their car and would not move off the road.

At the sentencing hearing today Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford said that Mr O’Neill was punched and got a kick in the head during the brief incident on the evening of 28 December, 2022. She said that actions of the men had effectively ended the life of Mr Neill. He died eleven days after the attack in hospital having never regained consciousness. 

Mr Hoey had gotten out of his car on the day of the offence pushing Matt O’Neill who fell to the ground. Jordan Deasy then punched him twice with Ricardo Hoey then kicking Matt once in the head. The pair then left the scene in a car driven and owned by Mr Hoey.

Ms Justice Lankford said that Mr Hoey told his mother that an altercation had taken place and presented himself to gardai within an hour of the incident. She noted that Mr Deasy went in to hiding but was arrested on 31 December, 2022.

She said that during questioning the men had accepted that their behaviour was cowardly and unnecessary. 

Ms Justice Lankford said that that “aggravating factors” in the case included that Matt O’Neill was “entirely defenceless.”

“They had an opportunity to retreat and they did not take it. The violence they used was entirely unnecessary and gratuitous.”

She said both men had accepted that the late Matt O’Neill was “defenceless” and that the assault was “not a fair fight.”

Mitigating factors she cited included the fact that Hoey and Deasy were teenagers at the time of the offence, that he assault was brief, that their actions were not premeditated and that no weapon was used. She noted the good work history of Mr Hoey and his “warm connection” with his supportive family.

She said that Mr Deasy had received a good report from the prison where he is an enhanced prisoner. He also experienced certain difficulties in his childhood. 

Ms Justice Lankford accepted that both men were very remorseful for their actions and that Deasy in particular understood the pain caused to the O’Neill family as he is also an only child.

Mr Hoey, who is a scaffolder, is without previous convictions. Mr Deasy has eleven previous convictions, one of which is for assault causing harm.

Ms Justice Lankford said that the deceased man, could “swim before he could walk” and saved lives during a rescue at sea when he was just thirteen years old. She offered her condolences to and Eileen O’Neill following the loss of their only son.

However, speaking outside the court, Matt’s father Pat O’Neill said that the sentence imposed on the two men was far too lenient.

“Matt was punched and kicked in a mindless, senseless, cowardly act as he lay defenceless on the road. While no sentence can bring our son back life, life is precious and fragile and should be protected. The sentence handed down today does not amount to justice. They killed our son and they received four years.

“There have been many violent and brutal attacks like this in the past. And there will be many more. Whose son or daughter will be next?

“We call on our Minister of Justice to review the sentencing and legislation for these brutal attacks. As a result of this attack our only son is dead. Respect for the lives of our young ones is not enhanced by insufficient consequences for those who live by a violent code.” 

Meanwhile, Mr O’Neill previously delivered a powerful victim impact statement.

Mr O’Neill said when his son’s life support was turned off in early January of last year, it was “29 minutes before he passed — a minute for every year of his life.”

Mr O’Neill said that he and his wife Eileen had held the hand of their beloved only child, Matt, at Cork University Hospital as he took his final breath on 28 January, 2023.

“It was 29 minutes of heartbreaking sadness that no parent should ever have to experience. This trauma will never leave us.”

Mr O’Neill told Ms Justice Lankford that he and his wife Eileen were on the street in Carrigaline on the night of the attack as their son “lay lifeless and bleeding” surrounded by people trying to save his life.

“We are haunted by these images and the thought of the lonely terror and pain he (Matt) must have felt, those images will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

Matt, who was very close to his parents, was born in Brisbane in Australia. Mr O’Neill said that they did everything as a trio.

“We did so much together. Matt loved water sports. He could swim before he could walk. He was an excellent swimmer and surfer and he had trained in life saving.

“Together we surfed, climbed, kayaked and camped. He loved all of it. On a cold wet winter Saturday or Sunday Matt would be the one waking up early and insisting we go out and do some activity. He would come and wake me up by lifting up my eyelid and say ‘wake up Dad,’ talking in to my eye.”

Mr O’Neill said that his son had a “kind and gentle soul” and was involved in several rescues in his short life. 

“And now he is gone. His clothes still hang in the wardrobe, he will never wear them again. If we go in to his bedroom his scent is still there and we are reduced to sadness and tears with the realisation of his absence.”